Distinct variety of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa Pratensis)

ABSTRACT

A Kentucky bluegrass plant that is highly apomictic, thus providing a more uniform turf when propagated from seeds. The plant has good resistance to most diseases such as stripe smut, Helminthosporium leafspot, dollarspot, and rust. The production of a high number of rhizomes presents a dense turf which keeps weed competition down. This low-growing cultivar has a medium-textured turf and maintains its medium-green color for a longer season than some other varieties of bluegrass. The new variety of Kentucky bluegrass plant was selected from a large number of other bluegrass plants released in 1969 by Rutgers University to FFR Cooperative for variety development. The new variety was the result of replicated tests in cultivated areas at West Lafayette, Indiana and Spokane, Washington as reported hereinafter and the variety subsequently has been named &#34;Plush&#34;. The variety is characterized by its ability to maintain a high turf quality over a wide geographical area and its ability to withstand, better than most bluegrasses, the high summertime temperatures. The qualities and charactristics which this new variety yields make it desirable in lawns and presents itself as an excellent seed producer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

After this new Kentucky bluegrass plant was selected, it and 82 other selections were planted at West Lafayette, Ind. These selections were screened in replicated tests at West Lafayette, Ind., and Spokane, Wash., for seed yield, plant diseases, and/or general clonal performance. Promising material was seeded in 3-foot × 5-foot replicated turf plots in 1969. This new Kentucky bluegrass selection was labeled by FFR as 9031 and entered in several university tests as P-133. Subsequently, 9031 was named Plush by the Board of Directors of FFR Cooperative.

The new cultivar has been asexually reproduced by applicants by tiller division and the distinguishing characteristics remain true through succeeding generations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the seedling of Plush variety bluegrass.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The new Plush variety of Kentucky bluegrass possesses the following combination of characteristics:

1. Highly apomictic.

2. Maintains good quality turf over a wide geographical area.

3. Excellent stripe smut (Ustilago striiformis) resistance.

4. Good Helminthosporium leafspot resistance.

5. Good dollarspot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) resistance.

6. Good rust (Puccinia spp.) tolerance.

7. Moderate Fusarium blight susceptibility.

8. Establishes faster than most other Kentucky bluegrasses.

9. Produces a dense turf.

10. Lower growing.

11. Medium-green color that develops early and lasts later.

12. Upright leaves with a medium width.

13. Medium thatch accumulation.

14. Establishes fast when sodded.

15. Good heat tolerance.

16. Excellent seed production characteristics.

The characteristics of the new variety described above are hereafter described in more detail, and it should be noted that comparisons made in all tests are to other bluegrasses grown and managed in a similar manner to Plush. Plush is not compared to all bluegrasses grown, but only to recently improved varieties. These comparisons are not by only one observation, but in replicated tests.

Highly apomictic: Plush is highly apomictic, in that progeny of the maternal plant will resemble the maternal parent. This provides a uniform-looking turf. (Table 1)

Maintains a good quality turf over a wide geographical area: Some Kentucky bluegrasses that were selected in a specific area do not adapt very well to other regions of Kentucky bluegrass growing area. This often leads to an inferior quality turf such as experienced with Nugget, an Alaskan selection, when grown in the Midwest and South. Plush, a Northeastern selection, has maintained a good quality turf over a wide geographical area. Plush has ranked high in turf quality in tests at Rutgers University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, and FFR Cooperative (Tables 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7).

Excellent stripe smut (Ustilago striiformis) resistance: Stripe smut is a fungus that attacks the leaves and floral parts of Kentucky bluegrass. This drastically lowers the quality of turf or reduces seed yield in production fields. Plush has good resistance to stripe smut. (Table 8)

Good Helminthosporium leafspot resistance: In the past, Helminthosporium leafspot, characterized by dark, purplish-red lesions on the leaves, has severely limited the production of good quality turf. As the disease progresses, the "melting-out" phase begins. This results in large patches of dead plants appearing in the turf. Plush has good resistance to Helminthosporium leafspot. (Tables 9, 10, 11, and 12)

Good dollarspot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) resistance: Although dollarspot is not a major disease, its presence can form several blighted areas, about the size of a silver dollar, in the turf. In tests at the University of Illinois, Plush has shown to have good dollarspot resistance (Table 13).

Good rust (Puccinia spp.) tolerance: A disease that severely damages Merion Kentucky bluegrass is leaf rust. Plush has good tolerance to rust in tests at FFR Cooperative, while Merion is severely damaged (Table 14).

Moderate Fusarium blight susceptibility: Fusarium blight is becoming a major disease of Kentucky bluegrass turfs that are under high management. Plush is slightly susceptible to Fusarium blight, but has better tolerance and resistance than Fylking and Pennstar in tests at Rutgers (Table 15).

Establishes faster than most other Kentucky bluegrasses: Weed competition often ruins a turf when seedlings are emerging. Good seedling vigor is characterized by germinating and spreading fast, thus establishing a dense turf. In tests at FFR Cooperative, Plush had better seedling vigor than most other elite Kentucky bluegrasses (Table 16).

Produces a dense turf: A dense turf does not only look attractive, but also hinders weed growth. One grass weed that causes major problems in turf is annual bluegrass (Poa annua). At the University of Illinois, a trial to measure the competitive ability of Kentucky bluegrass in annual bluegrasses was conducted. Ten-centimeters-in-diameter plugs of Kentucky bluegrass varieties from a two-year-old turf plot were placed in a solid stand of Poa annua. The trial was managed under conditions favorable to the development of annual bluegrass. After fourteen months, the plugs were measured to determine how much the Poa annua took over the plug. Because of its capability to produce a dense turf, Plush still had a diameter of 7.9 centimeters while several other bluegrass varieties had measurements of less than 7.0 centimeters (Table 17).

Kentucky bluegrass spreads by rhizomes. The more rhizomes per square foot, the better the density of the turf. In tests at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Plush had good rhizome production (Table 18).

In turf trials at FFR Cooperative, ratings for density were taken 12 and 30 months after seeding. Plush had a better density than Sodco at 12 months, and better than several other varieties at 30 months (Table 19).

Lower growing: Plush has a semi-dwarf growth characteristic. The plant height of Plush in an uncut turf situation is shorter than Fylking or Merion (Table 20).

Medium-green color that develops early and lasts late: Plush has lighter-green color than Adelphi, but is darker than Park. (Tables 21 and 22) This medium-green color tends to make many of the turf weeds, which tend to be lighter green, less noticeable when present. Plush's color develops early in the spring, earlier than Nugget or Cougar (Table 23). Plush maintains its medium-green color longer into the fall and early winter than Merion, Kenblue, or Park (Table 24).

Upright leaves with a medium width: Plush's leaves tend to be more upright. This makes leaves easier to cut. Plush's leaf angle from the central axis is approximately 36°, compared to 51° for Merion (Table 25). The leaves of Plush are medium width. They are wider than Nugget and Fylking, but narrower than Merion (Table 25).

Medium thatch accumulation: Thatch is a major problem for newer turfgrasses. The build-up of non-decmposed, dead vegetative matter becomes a favorable environment for diseases. Plush has a thatch depth of 1.33 centimeters, compared to Nugget's 1.52 centimeters, in tests at the University of Illinois (Table 26).

Establishes fast when sodded: The ability of a Kentucky bluegrass to recover and start growing is very important when laying sod. One way to measure this ability is the root strength test. In this test, a one-foot-square piece of turf is pulled from the soil surface after it has had time to establish its roots. The pounds of force required to pull this from the surface give a good indication of how fast the variety recovers after being sodded. Plush had an average root pull strength of 335 pounds in tests at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, compared to Merion's 266 pounds (Table 27).

Good heat tolerance: One aspect that limits the growth of Kentucky bluegrass in southern regions of bluegrass belt is its tolerance to the hot summertime temperatures. At Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, several Kentucky bluegrass cultivars were placed in a growth chamber. These six-inch-square pieces of sod were exposed to temperatures 50° C. for 16 hours and 30° C. for 8 hours for each day over a seven-day period. After the treatment, they were removed from chamber and sodded. Plush had retained 53% of its greenness, compared to Adelphi's 30%, Merion's 33%, or Kenblue's 65% (Table 28). After the cultivars were sodded, their recovery rates were measured by their root strength for a 6-inch-square piece of sod and percent ground cover. Plush had ratings of 85 pounds and 72 percent spread, respectively, compared to Adelphi's 58 pounds and 58% ground cover (Table 28).

Excellent seed production characteristics: In order to have a successful variety, seed must be plentiful and at a reasonable cost. A Kentucky bluegrass cultivar must have a good seed yield to be successful. Several factors determine a good yield. It must have good lodging resistance to prevent the seed head from lying on the ground. In tests at Spokane, Washington, Plush has good lodging resistance (Table 29). In order to harvest the seed more easily, the inflorescence should be high above vegetative material. Plush produces a culm of about 72 centimeters. Plush has a seed head higher than Nugget (Table 30). Also, the cultivar should be early-maturing. Early-maturing varieties in dry land production can take advantage of the winter moisture. Plush is earlier-maturing than Merion or Sodco (Table 31). Plush's seed yield is comparable to that of Fylking and Merion in tests at Spokane, Washington (Table 32).

The seed of Plush is darker in color than Merion or Baron, but is lighter than Adelphi or Nugget (Table 33). Plush has a larger seed size than most Kentucky bluegrasses (Table 33). Larger seeds usually have better germination vigor than small seeds.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Percent Apomixis in Plush.sup.a                                                               Number of    % Maternal-                                        Seed Source    Plants Tested                                                                               like Plants                                        ______________________________________                                         Lot SW71       200          86                                                 Lot RU69       350          89                                                 Lot RU73       100          87                                                 Total          650          Mean 87.33                                         ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1974 Apomixis Test of Plush Kentucky Bluegrass at FFR Cooperative,      West Lafayette, Indiana.                                                       P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Turf Quality at Rutgers University.sup.a                                                                                4-year                                Variety      1972    1973    1974  1975  mean                                  ______________________________________                                         Rating: 9 = best; 1 = poor                                                     Plush        6.0     6.5     6.7   6.5   6.4                                   Adelphi      7.0     6.7     6.8   6.9   6.8                                   Baron        4.5     5.7     5.8   5.1   5.3                                   Bonnieblue   6.3     6.7     6.8   6.6   6.6                                   Brunswick    5.5     6.9     7.5   7.3   6.8                                   Fylking      6.0     6.3     5.7   4.5   5.6                                   Galaxy       6.3     6.4     6.1   5.6   6.1                                   Glade        6.5     6.5     6.7   6.7   6.6                                   Kenblue      4.0     3.0     3.3   2.8   3.3                                   Majestic     7.3     7.0     6.3   6.0   6.6                                   Merion       6.3     6.8     6.6   5.7   6.4                                   Monopoly     4.5     5.5     5.4   6.3   5.4                                   Nugget       7.0     5.3     5.0   4.2   5.4                                   Park         3.8     2.9     3.0   2.1   3.0                                   Pennstar     6.0     6.5     5.7   4.6   5.7                                   Sodco        6.8     6.7     6.8   6.3   6.6                                   Sydsport     5.0     6.0     6.4   6.3   5.9                                   Vantage      3.3     5.1     5.7   5.5   5.0                                   Victa        4.5     5.7     5.8   5.4   5.4                                   Windsor      4.5     5.5     6.4   7.1   5.9                                   Grand Mean                               5.7                                   ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Test of Kentucky Bluegrass and Fine Fescue varieties      at Rutgers University.                                                         C. Reed Funk                                                             

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Turf Quality at Virginia Polytechnic Institute                                 and State University.sup.a                                                                                           3-year                                   Variety      1973     1974     1975   mean                                     ______________________________________                                         Rating: 9 = best; 1 = poor                                                     Plush        7.5      7.2      5.2    6.6                                      Adelphi      7.4      7.2      5.4    6.8                                      Baron        6.7      6.5      5.1    6.1                                      Bonnieblue   7.7      6.9      5.3    6.6                                      Brunswick    7.8      6.7      5.1    6.5                                      Fylking      6.6      6.1      4.5    5.7                                      Galaxy       7.6      6.7      4.7    6.3                                      Glade        7.1      6.5      5.4    6.3                                      Kenblue      7.0      5.9      5.1    6.0                                      Majestic     7.4      7.1      5.3    6.6                                      Merion       6.8      6.1      5.4    6.1                                      Monopoly     7.4      7.1      5.7    6.8                                      Nugget       6.2      6.1      5.0    5.8                                      Park         6.2      5.6      4.6    5.4                                      Pennstar     7.5      6.4      4.7    6.2                                      Sodco        7.9      6.9      5.8    6.9                                      Sydsport     7.4      6.9      5.4    6.6                                      Vantage      7.1      6.0      5.3    6.1                                      Victa        6.9      6.9      5.6    6.5                                      Windsor      7.3      6.4      4.6    6.1                                      Grand Mean                            6.3                                      ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Test at Virginia Polytechnic           Institute and State University.                                                Lincoln Taylor.                                                          

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         Turf Quality at University of Illinois.sup.a                                                1973      1974     1975   3-Year                                  Variety      Mean      Mean     Mean   Mean                                    ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = best; 9 = poor                                                     Plush        2.9       2.6      2.3    2.6                                     Adelphi      2.6       2.4      3.2    2.7                                     Baron        2.9       3.2      3.4    3.2                                     Bonnieblue   3.1       3.1      3.0    3.1                                     Brunswick    2.6       2.8      3.0    2.8                                     Fylking      2.9       3.3      3.3    3.2                                     Galaxy       3.0       2.8      3.0    2.9                                     Glade        2.8       2.7      3.5    3.0                                     Kenblue      4.6       3.8      3.5    4.0                                     Majestic     3.0       2.7      3.2    3.0                                     Merion       3.2       2.9      2.6    2.9                                     Monopoly     3.1       2.1      2.2    2.5                                     Nugget       3.1       3.6      5.0    3.9                                     Park         4.9       3.3      3.0    3.7                                     Pennstar     3.1       3.5      3.3    3.3                                     Sodco        3.0       2.9      2.8    2.9                                     Sydsport     2.7       2.7      4.0    3.1                                     Vantage      3.3       2.9      2.7    3.0                                     Victa        3.0       3.1      3.0    3.0                                     Windsor      3.0       2.5      2.4    2.6                                     Grand Mean                             3.1                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Bluegrass Trials at University of Illinois.               A. J. Turgeon                                                            

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Turf Quality at the Southwest Research Center                                  of the University of Missouri.sup.a                                                                   3-Year                                                  Variety                Mean                                                    ______________________________________                                         Rating: 9 = best; 1 = poor                                                     Plush                  4.6                                                     Adelphi                4.5                                                     Baron                  4.6                                                     Bonnieblue             4.6                                                     Brunswick              4.8                                                     Fylking                4.3                                                     Galaxy                 4.7                                                     Glade                  4.3                                                     Kenblue                3.4                                                     Majestic               4.5                                                     Merion                 3.3                                                     Monopoly               4.6                                                     Nugget                 3.0                                                     Park                   4.1                                                     Pennstar               4.1                                                     Sodco                  4.1                                                     Sydsport               4.5                                                     Vantage                4.1                                                     Victa                  4.9                                                     Windsor                4.3                                                     Grand Mean             4.3                                                     LSD at 5% Level         .5                                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Test of Kentucky Bluegrass at the Southwest Research      Center of the University of Missouri.                                          John H. Dunn                                                             

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         Turf Quality at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                                                                 3-year                                  Variety         1970     1971    1973  Mean                                    ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = best; 9 = poor                                                     Plush           3.9      3.4     2.8   3.4                                     Cougar          3.5      5.4     4.4   4.4                                     Delta           6.1      7.3     6.1   6.5                                     Fylking         3.9      4.7     4.1   4.2                                     Geary           5.9      6.6     5.2   5.9                                     Kenblue         5.3      7.2     6.3   6.3                                     Merion          3.3      3.8     4.3   3.8                                     Newport         4.7      5.8     6.0   5.5                                     Nudwarf         5.9      6.1     6.5   6.2                                     Nugget          4.0      4.3     3.5   3.9                                     Park            6.3      6.0     5.7   6.0                                     Sodco           5.8      6.4     6.5   6.2                                     S-21            6.5      6.3     6.6   6.5                                     S. Dakota Common                                                                               5.8      6.4     6.5   6.2                                     Grand Mean                             5.4                                     LSD at 5% Level  1.38     1.17    1.44                                         ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Turf Evaluations at FFR Cooperative, West Lafayette, Indiana.           P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         Turf Quality Averaged Across Five Locations                                                            Location                                               Variety Rutgers  VPI    Missouri                                                                              Ill FFR   Mean                                  ______________________________________                                         Rating.sup.b : 9 = best; 1 = poor                                              Plush   6.4      6.6    4.6    7.4 6.7   6.3                                   Adelphi 6.8      6.8    4.5    7.3 X.sup.a                                                                              X                                     Baron   5.3      6.1    4.6    6.8 X     X                                     Bonnieblue                                                                             6.6      6.6    4.6    6.9 X     X                                     Brunswick                                                                              6.8      6.5    4.8    7.2 X     X                                     Fylking 5.6      5.7    4.3    6.8 5.8   5.6                                   Galaxy  6.1      6.3    4.7    7.1 X     X                                     Glade   6.6      6.3    4.3    7.0 X     X                                     Kenblue 3.3      6.0    3.4    6.0 3.8   4.5                                   Majestic                                                                               6.6      6.6    4.5    7.0 X     X                                     Merion  6.4      6.1    3.3    7.1 6.2   5.8                                   Monopoly                                                                               5.4      6.8    4.6    7.5 X     X                                     Nugget  5.4      5.8    3.0    6.1 6.1   5.3                                   Park    3.0      5.4    4.1    6.3 4.0   4.6                                   Pennstar                                                                               5.7      6.2    4.1    6.7 X     X                                     Sodco   6.6      6.9    3.9    7.1 3.8   5.7                                   Sydsport                                                                               5.9      6.6    4.5    6.9 X     X                                     Vantage 5.0      6.1    4.1    7.0 X     X                                     Victa   5.4      6.5    4.9    7.0 X     X                                     Windsor 5.9      6.1    4.3    6.4 X     X                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Not Tested in this Trial                                                .sup.b Rating for Illinois and FFR are converted to 9 = best; 1 = poor.  

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                         Stripe Smut Resistance at Rutgers University.sup.a                             Variety            Infected Tillers                                            ______________________________________                                         Number of tillers per square foot infected with stripe smut                    Plush              2                                                           Adelphi            1                                                           Baron              25                                                          Glade              2                                                           Merion             138                                                         Windsor            90                                                          ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at Rutgers University.          C. Reed Funk                                                             

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                         Helminthosporium Leafspot Tolerance                                            at University of Illinois.sup.a                                                                                     3-year                                    Variety     1973     1974     1975   mean                                      ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = best; 9 = poor                                                     Plush       2.7      2.3      3.0    2.7                                       Adelphi     2.3      2.3      2.0    2.2                                       Baron       3.3      2.3      2.7    2.8                                       Bonnieblue  2.0      1.7      2.3    2.0                                       Brunswick   1.7      2.3      3.0    2.3                                       Fylking     2.7      2.0      2.3    2.3                                       Galaxy      1.7      1.3      2.0    1.7                                       Glade       3.0      2.3      2.7    2.7                                       Kenblue     5.7      5.7      5.0    5.5                                       Majestic    1.0      1.7      2.0    1.6                                       Merion      1.7      1.3      3.0    2.0                                       Monopoly    2.7      2.0      2.7    2.5                                       Nugget      2.0      1.3      1.0    1.4                                       Park        6.0      3.3      5.3    4.9                                       Pennstar    2.0      1.7      2.0    1.9                                       Sodco       3.0      2.7      3.0    2.9                                       Sydsport    2.0      2.3      2.0    2.1                                       Vantage     5.0      4.3      3.7    4.3                                       Victa       2.7      2.0      2.7    2.5                                       Windsor     3.0      2.7      3.0    2.9                                       Mean                                 2.7                                       ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Bluegrass Trials at University of Illinois                A. J. Turgeon                                                            

                  TABLE 10                                                         ______________________________________                                         Helminthosporium Leafspot Tolerance                                            at Virginia Polytechnic Institute                                              and State University.sup.a                                                                            1974                                                           Variety         Mean                                                    ______________________________________                                         Rating: 9 = best; 1 = poor                                                            Plush           6.3                                                            Adelphi         6.7                                                            Baron           6.7                                                            Bonnieblue      8.7                                                            Brunswick       6.7                                                            Fylking         6.7                                                            Galaxy          7.3                                                            Glade           4.3                                                            Kenblue         4.0                                                            Majestic        7.7                                                            Merion          7.0                                                            Monopoly        6.0                                                            Nugget          4.0                                                            Park            7.0                                                            Pennstar        6.7                                                            Sodco           6.7                                                            Sydsport        6.7                                                            Vantage         7.0                                                            Victa           6.7                                                            Windsor         7.0                                                            Grand Mean      6.5                                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Bluegrass Trials at Virginia Polytechnic Institute        and State University.                                                          Lincoln Taylor                                                           

                  TABLE 11                                                         ______________________________________                                         Helminthosporium Leafspot Tolerance                                            at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                                                                              3-year                                  Entry      5-5-72    4-19-73   5-22-74 mean                                    ______________________________________                                         Rating.sup.b : 1 = best; 9 = poor                                              Plush      5.3       3.0       3.0     3.8                                     Cougar     6.3       4.3       5.0     5.2                                     Delta      5.0       8.3       6.7     6.7                                     Fylking    2.8       4.5       3.0     3.4                                     Geary      8.0       8.0       8.0     8.0                                     Kenblue    7.3       9.0       6.3     7.5                                     Merion     2.3       2.7       1.7     2.2                                     Newport    6.0       7.0       8.3     7.1                                     Nudwarf    7.3       9.0       7.3     7.9                                     Nugget     2.6       2.5       1.4     2.2                                     Park       7.0       9.2       6.7     7.6                                     Sodco      3.0       3.2       2.8     3.0                                     S-21       7.0       8.3       7.0     7.4                                     S. Dakota Common                                                                          8.0       8.7       7.3     8.0                                     Grand Mean                             5.7                                     LSD at 5% Level                                                                           1.8       2.1       1.5                                             ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Turf Evaluations at FFR Cooperative, West Lafayette, Indiana            P. R. Troutman                                                                 .sup.b Rating for Helminthosporium tolerance:                                  1 = good tolerance                                                             9 = poor tolerance                                                       

                  TABLE 12                                                         ______________________________________                                         Helminthosporium Leafspot Tolerance                                            Summary of the Three Locations                                                 Variety  U. of Illinois                                                                             VPI & SU.sup.b                                                                            FFR   Mean                                     ______________________________________                                         Ratings: 1 = best; 9 = poor                                                    Plush    2.7         3.7        3.8   3.4                                      Adelphi  2.2         3.3        X.sup.c                                                                              X                                        Baron    2.8         3.3        X     X                                        Bonnieblue                                                                              2.0         1.3        X     X                                        Brunswick                                                                               2.3         3.3        X     X                                        Fylking  2.3         3.3        3.4   3.0                                      Galaxy   1.7         2.7        X     X                                        Glade    2.7         5.7        X     X                                        Kenblue  5.5         6.0        7.5   6.3                                      Majestic 1.6         2.3        X     X                                        Merion   2.0         3.0        2.2   2.4                                      Monopoly 2.5         4.0        X     X                                        Nugget   1.4         6.0        2.2   3.2                                      Park     4.9         3.0        7.6   5.2                                      Pennstar 1.9         3.3        X     X                                        Sodco    2.9         3.3        3.0   3.1                                      Sydsport 2.1         3.3        X     X                                        Vantage  4.3         3.0        X     X                                        Victa    2.5         3.3        X     X                                        Windsor  2.9         3.0        X     X                                        Grand Mean                            3.1                                      ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Summary of the three tables (9a, 9b, and 9c).                           .sup.b The ratings for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universit      are converted to a 1 = best, 9 = poor scale (table 9b).                        .sup.c Not in this test                                                  

                  TABLE 13                                                         ______________________________________                                         Dollarspot Resistance at the                                                   University of Illinois.sup.a                                                   Variety         1975                                                           ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = most resistance; 9 = least                                         Plush           1.0                                                            Adelphi         1.0                                                            Baron           1.0                                                            Bonnieblue      1.0                                                            Brunswick       1.7                                                            Fylking         1.3                                                            Galaxy          1.0                                                            Glade           1.7                                                            Kenblue         1.3                                                            Majestic        1.0                                                            Merion          1.3                                                            Monopoly        1.0                                                            Nugget          3.3                                                            Park            1.0                                                            Pennstar        1.0                                                            Sodco           1.0                                                            Sydsport        1.0                                                            Vantage         1.0                                                            Victa           1.0                                                            Windsor         1.0                                                            ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at the University of            Illinois.                                                                      A. J. Turgeon                                                            

                  TABLE 14                                                         ______________________________________                                         Rust Tolerance at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                                                          2-year                                       Variety       1970      1973      Mean                                         ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = best; 9 = poor                                                     Plush         1.3       1.7       1.5                                          Cougar        1.7       2.3       2.0                                          Delta         2.3       1.0       1.6                                          Fylking       1.2       2.7       2.0                                          Geary         1.7       2.3       2.0                                          Kenblue       1.0       3.7       2.4                                          Merion        7.0       9.0       8.0                                          Newport       1.7       1.7       1.7                                          Nudwarf       1.3       2.7       2.0                                          Nugget        1.0       1.0       1.0                                          Park          1.7       4.0       2.8                                          Sodco         1.2       1.3       1.2                                          S-21          2.0       2.7       1.4                                          S. Dakota Common                                                                             1.3       1.7       2.0                                          Mean                              2.3                                          LSD at 5% Level                                                                              1.2       2.1                                                    ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Kentucky Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                      P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 15                                                         ______________________________________                                         Fusarium Blight Resistance at                                                  Rutgers University.sup.a                                                                   Percent Damage                                                     Variety       1974      1975      Mean                                         ______________________________________                                         Plush         10.0      24.4      17.2                                         Adelphi       1.7       .4        1.0                                          Baron         8.7       18.4      13.6                                         Bonnieblue    6.0       4.3       5.2                                          Brunswick     6.3       28.0      17.2                                         Fylking       17.0      30.8      23.9                                         Galaxy        7.7       8.4       8.0                                          Glade         .7        7.0       3.8                                          Kenblue       3.3       6.3       4.8                                          Majestic      6.0       8.4       7.2                                          Merion        9.0       15.4      12.2                                         Monopoly      2.7       .8        1.8                                          Nugget        5.3       29.2      17.2                                         Park          3.0       15.9      9.4                                          Pennstar      16.3      30.9      23.6                                         Sodco         4.7       5.3       5.0                                          Sydsport      1.7       3.0       2.4                                          Vantage       2.3       6.7       4.5                                          Victa         6.0       18.4      12.2                                         Windsor       .7        .3        .5                                           LSD at 5% Level                                                                              5.7                                                              ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at Rutgers University.          C. Reed Funk                                                             

                  TABLE 16                                                         ______________________________________                                         Seedling Vigor at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                                   Days after seeding                                                  Variety      13 days 33 days 61 days                                                                              71 days                                                                              Mean                                  ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = most vigor; 9 = least                                              Plush        3.0     2.0     2.0   1.3   2.1                                   Adelphi      7.3     6.3     3.7   2.0   4.8                                   Baron        6.3     5.7     4.7   3.3   5.0                                   Bonnieblue   5.0     5.0     3.3   2.3   3.9                                   Brunswick    2.7     3.0     3.3   2.7   2.9                                   Fylking      4.7     4.0     2.3   2.3   3.3                                   Glade        3.0     3.3     3.3   1.7   2.8                                   Kenblue      3.0     2.0     2.0   1.7   2.2                                   Majestic     4.0     2.7     2.0   1.7   2.6                                   Merion       6.7     5.7     4.0   1.3   4.4                                   Nugget       4.7     3.0     4.7   2.7   3.8                                   Park         1.3     1.3     1.7   2.0   1.6                                   Pennstar     5.0     3.0     3.0   2.3   3.3                                   Sodco        6.3     4.7     3.7   2.3   4.3                                   Sydsport     6.7     6.0     4.3   3.3   5.1                                   Vantage      7.0     5.7     3.7   3.3   4.9                                   Victa        5.0     2.3     2.7   2.3   3.1                                   Windsor      5.0     4.0     3.0   2.0   3.5                                   LSD at 5% Level                                                                             2.10    1.51    1.72  0.71                                        ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1976 Kentucky Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                 P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 17                                                         ______________________________________                                         Competitive ability of Kentucky Bluegrass Varieties in                         0.75 in. Annual Bluegrass Turf at 14 Months.sup.a                              Plug Diameter (cm.)                                                                         Cultivar                                                          ______________________________________                                         8.9 - 8.0    Warren's A-20 Touchdown, Parade                                                Glade, Baron, Brunswick                                           7.9 - 7.0    Plush, Kenblue Warren's A-34                                                   Adelphi, Sydsport                                                 6.9 - 6.0    Geronimo, Sodco Windsor, Nugget                                   5.9 - 5.0    Pennstar Victa Bonnieblue                                         4.9 - 4.0    Merion, Vantage Fylking                                           3.9 - 3.0    Majestic, Campina Monopoly                                        2.9 - 2.0    Park Galaxy                                                       ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at University of Illinois.      A. J. Turgeon                                                            

                  TABLE 18                                                         ______________________________________                                         Rhizome Production of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars                             in July, 1974 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute                                and State University.sup.a                                                                        Number of                                                                      Rhizomes per                                                Variety            Square Foot                                                 ______________________________________                                         Plush              17                                                          Adelphi            14                                                          Baron              18                                                          Bonnieblue         13                                                          Brunswick          12                                                          Fylking            9                                                           Galaxy             19                                                          Glade              13                                                          Kenblue            8                                                           Majestic           18                                                          Merion             17                                                          Monopoly           19                                                          Nugget             11                                                          Park               19                                                          Pennstar           12                                                          Sodco              14                                                          Sydsport           15                                                          Vantage            11                                                          Victa              11                                                          Windsor            12                                                          ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at Virginia Polytechnic         Institute and State University.                                                R. E. Schmidt                                                            

                  TABLE 19                                                         ______________________________________                                         Turf Density at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                          Variety          12 months   30 months                                         ______________________________________                                         Rating:.sup.b 1 = most dense; 9 = least dense                                  Plush            5.4         2.5                                               Belturf          4.8         4.5                                               Cougar           4.8         3.5                                               Delta            4.2         6.5                                               Fylking          4.5         3.2                                               Geary            3.8         4.8                                               Kenblue          4.0         7.8                                               Merion           5.5         4.8                                               Newport          4.0         5.0                                               Nudwarf          3.2         5.0                                               Nugget           5.4         7.2                                               Park             3.8         5.2                                               Pennstar         5.8         4.2                                               Sodco            7.2         6.5                                               S-21             3.5         7.8                                               S. Dakota Common 3.4         6.8                                               Windsor          4.5         5.5                                               LSD at 5% level  1.3         2.4                                               ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Turf Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                                    P. R. Troutman                                                                 .sup.b Ratings taken 12 months and 30 months after seeding.              

                  TABLE 20                                                         ______________________________________                                         Turf Dwarfness at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                        Variety           Dwarfness.sup.b                                              ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = 10 cm; 9 = 30 cm                                                   Plush             2.9                                                          Cougar            4.5                                                          Delta             7.3                                                          Fylking           6.8                                                          Geary             5.9                                                          Kenblue           7.3                                                          Merion            3.5                                                          Newport           5.1                                                          Nudwarf           6.2                                                          Nugget            2.2                                                          Park              6.5                                                          Sodco             3.9                                                          S-21              5.5                                                          S. Dakota Common  6.5                                                          Mean              5.3                                                          LSD at 5% Level   .7                                                           ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                               P. R. Troutman                                                                 .sup.b Rating is a mean of 12 observations from 1969-1974.               

                  TABLE 21                                                         ______________________________________                                         Turf Color at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                            Variety           1976                                                         ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = dark green; 9 = light green                                        Plush             4.7                                                          Adelphi           2.3                                                          Baron             3.7                                                          Bonnieblue        2.7                                                          Brunswick         1.7                                                          Fylking           5.0                                                          Glade             2.0                                                          Kenblue           4.3                                                          Majestic          3.0                                                          Merion            2.3                                                          Nugget            2.3                                                          Park              7.3                                                          Pennstar          4.7                                                          Sodco             3.0                                                          Sydsport          2.3                                                          Vantage           4.7                                                          Victa             4.0                                                          Windsor           4.7                                                          LSD at 5% Level   1.13                                                         ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1976 Kentucky Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                 P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 22                                                         ______________________________________                                         Growing Season Color.sup.a                                                     Variety                      Color                                             ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = dark green; 9 = light green                                                     4-24-70 5-21-71 6-10-70                                                                              9-9-72                                                                               Mean                                  Plush        3.0     4.0     4.0   4.3   3.8                                   Cougar       3.0     7.0     4.3   3.7   4.5                                   Delta        4.7     9.0     4.3   4.7   5.7                                   Fylking      3.1     5.0     5.0   4.4   4.4                                   Geary        5.3     8.7     7.3   5.3   6.6                                   Kenblue      5.0     8.7     7.0   4.7   6.4                                   Merion       2.7     3.0     4.3   2.0   3.0                                   Newport      3.8     7.3     4.4   4.7   5.0                                   Nudwarf      6.3     9.0     6.7   5.0   6.8                                   Nugget       3.3     1.7     2.4   2.6   2.5                                   Park         4.7     9.0     8.3   5.3   6.8                                   Sodco        2.6     2.7     3.2   2.8   2.8                                   S-21         8.0     8.3     8.3   7.7   8.1                                   S. Dakota Common                                                                            5.0     9.0     8.0   5.0   6.8                                   Mean                                     5.2                                   LSD at 5% Level                                                                             1.6     1.7     2.0   2.2                                         ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Kentucky Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                      P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 23                                                         ______________________________________                                         Early Spring Color at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                    Variety          Color                                                         ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = green; 9 = brown                                                   Plush            4.2                                                           Cougar           6.5                                                           Delta            3.8                                                           Fylking          5.6                                                           Geary            3.2                                                           Kenblue          4.3                                                           Merion           4.7                                                           Newport          6.0                                                           Nudwarf          3.8                                                           Nugget           8.2                                                           Park             3.5                                                           Sodco            5.2                                                           S-21             4.6                                                           S. Dakota Common 4.8                                                           Mean             4.9                                                           LSD at 5% Level  2.4                                                           ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Kentucky Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                      P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 24                                                         ______________________________________                                         Late Fall-Early Winter Color                                                   at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                                       Variety           Color.sup.b                                                  ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = green; 9 = brown                                                   Plush             4.2                                                          Cougar            7.1                                                          Delta             7.9                                                          Fylking           4.5                                                          Geary             6.7                                                          Kenblue           7.0                                                          Merion            6.0                                                          Nudwarf           5.8                                                          Nugget            4.5                                                          Park              6.5                                                          Sodco             5.0                                                          S-21              7.2                                                          S. Dakota Common  7.1                                                          Mean              6.1                                                          LSD at 5% Level   1.0                                                          ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Bluegrass Evaluations at FFR Cooperative.                               P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 25                                                         ______________________________________                                         Leaf Blade Length, Width, and Angle                                                       Leaf Blade Leaf Blade Leaf Blade                                    Variety    Length (cm)                                                                               Width (mm) Angle (degrees)                               ______________________________________                                         Plush      20.4       3.2        36.0                                          Fylking    22.6       2.1        42.0                                          Merion     21.3       3.4        51.0                                          Nugget     17.6       2.2        50.0                                          LSD at 5% Level                                                                           3.40       .62        8.56                                          ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1974 Greenhouse Evaluation at FFR Cooperative, West Lafayette,          Indiana. Plants grown from tillers and replicated 6 times.                     P. R. Troutman                                                           

                  TABLE 26                                                         ______________________________________                                         Thatch Depth at                                                                the University of Illinois.sup.a                                               Variety          Centimeters                                                   ______________________________________                                         Plush            1.3                                                           Adelphi          1.2                                                           Baron            1.4                                                           Bonnieblue       1.0                                                           Brunswick        1.5                                                           Fylking          1.3                                                           Galaxy           1.2                                                           Glade            1.5                                                           Kenblue          1.0                                                           Majestic         1.4                                                           Merion           1.0                                                           Monopoly         1.1                                                           Nugget           1.5                                                           Park             .7                                                            Pennstar         1.2                                                           Sodco            1.4                                                           Sydsport         1.2                                                           Vantage          1.0                                                           Victa            1.5                                                           Windsor          1.2                                                           ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at the University of            Illinois.                                                                      A. J. Turgeon                                                            

                  TABLE 27                                                         ______________________________________                                         Root Strength at Virginia Polytechnic                                          Institute and State University.sup.a                                           Variety     6 weeks growth                                                                             8 weeks growth                                                                             Mean                                       ______________________________________                                         Measured in pounds of force required to pull one square foot                   of sod from soil surface.                                                      Plush       325         345         335                                        Adelphi     415         385         400                                        Baron       365         183         274                                        Bonnieblue  338         258         298                                        Brunswick   333         210         272                                        Fylking     373         185         279                                        Galaxy      310         245         278                                        Glade       345         178         262                                        Kenblue     252         353         302                                        Majestic    425         278         351                                        Merion      315         218         266                                        Monopoly    343         283         313                                        Nugget      423         225         325                                        Park        248         260         254                                        Pennstar    323         218         270                                        Sodco       328         280         304                                        Sydsport    410         268         339                                        Vantage     350         395         372                                        Victor      386         260         323                                        Windsor     308         335         322                                        ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at Virginia Polytechnic         Institute and State University.                                                R. E. Schmidt                                                            

                  TABLE 28                                                         ______________________________________                                         Heat Tolerance of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars at                              Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.sup.a                                                Root                                                                 % Green   Strength % Ground                                    Variety         After Heat                                                                               Pounds   Cover                                       ______________________________________                                         Plush           53        85       72                                          Adelphi         30        58       58                                          Baron           40        76       72                                          Bonnieblue      37        59       53                                          Brunswick       52        65       73                                          Fylking         33        41       42                                          Galaxy          8         56       50                                          Glade           35        43       50                                          Kenblue         65        98       77                                          Majestic        30        56       45                                          Merion          33        77       53                                          Monopoly        43        46       52                                          Nugget          38        62       47                                          Park            48        93       70                                          Sodco           45        76       68                                          Sydsport        35        61       57                                          Vantage         35        78       45                                          Victa           35        50       55                                          Windsor         40        70       73                                          ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1972 Regional Kentucky Bluegrass Trials at Virginia Polytechnic         Institute and State University.                                                R. E. Schmidt                                                            

                  TABLE 29                                                         ______________________________________                                         Lodging Resistance at Spokane, Washington.sup.a                                Variety                                                                        Rating: 1 = Lodged; 5 = Erect                                                  Plush             3.2                                                          Cougar            4.8                                                          Fylking           1.0                                                          Kenblue           3.8                                                          Merion            3.5                                                          Newport           4.5                                                          Nugget            5.0                                                          Sodco             3.5                                                          S. Dakota Common  3.0                                                          LSD at 5% Level   1.98                                                         ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1969 FFR Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Production Evaluation at Spokane,      Washington                                                                     Keith Wigen                                                              

                  TABLE 30                                                         ______________________________________                                         Seed Head Height at Spokane, Wash..sup.a                                       Variety           Height                                                       ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = short culm; 5 = tall culm                                          Plush                  4.0                                                     Cougar                 3.0                                                     Fylking                2.8                                                     Kenblue                4.0                                                     Merion                 3.5                                                     Newport                4.0                                                     Nugget                 1.0                                                     Sodco                  3.0                                                     S. Dakota Common       4.5                                                     LSD at 5% Level        1.30                                                    ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1969 FFR Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Production Evaluation at Spokane,      Washington.                                                                    Keith Wigen                                                              

                  TABLE 31                                                         ______________________________________                                         Seed Head Emergence at Spokane, Washington.sup.a                                                      Avg.                                                    Variety                Rating.sup.b                                            ______________________________________                                         Plush                  3.0                                                     Fylking                3.0                                                     Kenblue                3.5                                                     Merion                 1.5                                                     Newport                3.5                                                     Sodco                  2.5                                                     S. Dakota Common       3.5                                                     Nugget                 4.0                                                     ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1969 FFR Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Production Evaluation at Spokane,      Washington.                                                                    Keith Wigen                                                                    .sup.b 1 = no head emergence                                                   2 = 1 - 25% emergence                                                          3 = 50 - 75% emergence                                                         4 = 75 - 100% emergence                                                  

                  TABLE 32                                                         ______________________________________                                         Seed Yield Evaluation at Spokane, Washington.sup.a                                          1970 Mean  1971 Mean   2-Year                                                  Seed Yield Seed Yield  Mean                                       Variety      kg/ha      kg/ha       kg/ha                                      ______________________________________                                         Plush        326.17     929.59      627.88                                     Fylking      244.63     1,223.15    733.89                                     Kenblue      212.06     962.34      587.20                                     Merion       195.66     848.05      521.86                                     Newport      130.51     782.81      1456.66                                    Nugget        81.54     521.88      301.71                                     Sodco         97.94     538.18      318.06                                     S. Dakota Common                                                                            163.09     913.12      538.11                                     Mean                                510.67                                     LSD at 5% Level                                                                             130.51     375.10                                                 ______________________________________                                          .sup.a 1969 FFR Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Production Evaluation at Spokane,      Washington.                                                                    Keith Wigen                                                              

                  TABLE 33                                                         ______________________________________                                         Seed Size and Color at FFR Cooperative.sup.a                                               Seed Length Seed Width  Seed                                       Variety     (mm)        (mm)        Color                                      ______________________________________                                         Rating: 1 = light tan, 9 = dark brown                                          Plush       2.9         .69         6.3                                        Adelphi     2.6         .61         8.0                                        Baron       2.5         .58         3.0                                        Bonnieblue  2.7         .69         5.7                                        Fylking     2.8         .76         6.0                                        Glade       2.5         .56         3.3                                        Kenblue     2.5         .55         2.7                                        Majestic    2.5         .66         6.2                                        Merion      2.4         .61         1.0                                        Nugget      3.2         .79         9.0                                        LSD at 5% Level                                                                             .169        .004        1.38                                      ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Seed Characteristics Evaluation at FFR Cooperative.                     P. R. Troutman                                                            

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of bluegrass plant, Poa pratensis, substantially as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by a medium-green color, highly apomictic, vigorous rhizome production, and good disease tolerance. 